Proposal Information

Please give a 2-3 sentence summary of request:

Local Issues Forums in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Winona are agenda-setting online public forums that exist in the heart of their real local communities. Issues Forums allow citizen participation from anywhere at any time. Active outreach to "new voices" is essential to bring in diverse voices to ensure that the community agenda is reflective of the broader community not just the political class or historically active citizens. The "New Voices" campaign will attract new citizens and immigrants, younger adults, and minority communities as forum participants to bring new perspectives to the media, local government, community leaders, and other citizens.

Project dates (if applicable): One year initiative that will commence with funding.

Fiscal year end: December 31

Budget -

Dollar amount requested: $20,000

Total annual organization budget: Currently under $5000 estimated for 2006

Total project budget (for support other than general operating): $15,000

Proposal Narrative

I. Organization Information:

Leave empty for now ... will draft common base.

II. Purpose of Grant

1. Situation

Local Issues Forums in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Winona are agenda-setting online public forums. E-Democracy.Org, a sustainable volunteer-based non-profit, started building a model for online citizen engagement in 1994.

Issues Forums allow citizen participation from anywhere at any time. They exist in the heart of real local communities. Traditional forms of civic participation, like attending public meetings, while important are highly discriminatory when it comes to mobility and conflicts with time required for work and family.

Issues Forums contain an amazing diversity of viewpoints expressed. The messages reach elected officials, journalists, and community leaders. However, by encouraging "New Voices" through an increased diversity of participants, the perspectives and issues raised will improve community understanding and the awareness of emerging trends and interests.

Issues Forums were recently selected by the Local e-Democracy National Project of the UK Office of Deputy Prime Minister for pilot expansion in two English communities. This flow of resources in late 2004 through mid-2005 demonstrated the value that can be generated above and beyond our traditionally volunteer-based model. As an extremely low cost model currently with no paid staff, outreach has been word of mouth and most effective at reaching those groups and individuals with something to say. Those outside traditionally represented community networks require intensive one-by-one, group-by-group outreach to be reached.

E-Democracy.Org views the "New Voices" campaign as an opportunity to bring in paid assistance to leverage our extensive volunteer network for targeted outreach with newly designed outreach materials.

a. The opportunity, challenges, issue or need and the community that your proposal addresses.

...

Active outreach to "new voices" is essential to bring in diverse voices to ensure that the community agenda is reflective of the broader community not just the political class or historically active citizens. The "New Voices" campaign will attract new citizens and immigrants, younger adults, and minority communities as forum participants to bring new perspectives to the media, local government, community leaders, and other citizens

b. How that focus was determined and who was involved in that decision-making process.

2. Activities

a. Overall goal(s) regarding the situation described above.

b. Objectives or ways in which you will meet the goal(s).

Special outreach to ...

Hmong community in St. Paul
East African communities in Minneapolis
Latino community in central cities
Lower income and younger adults in Winona

c. Specific activities for which you are seeking funding.

d. Who will carry out those activities.

e. Time frame in which this will take place.

f. How the proposed activities will benefit the community in which they will occur, being as clear as you can about the impact you expect to have.

g. Long-term strategies (if applicable) for sustaining this effort.

III. EVALUATION

Need research component - pre-outreach, post-outreach, focus groups with existing types of members

A. Please describe your criteria for success. What do you want to happen as a result of your activities?

B. How will you measure these changes?

C. Who will be involved in evaluating this work (staff, board, constituents, community, consultants)?